Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
12–17 mpgcombined; city 11–15, highway 14–21; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$19,110–$33,540U.S. average; Ohio $17,070–$31,600 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2006 Grand Cherokee. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 1,280 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Grand Cherokee. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
753
15
3
10
Power train
173
3
0
1
Engine
124
4
3
1
Structure
119
5
0
13
Unknown or other
73
0
1
1
Exterior lighting
64
1
0
0
Air bags
60
20
0
20
Service brakes
56
4
0
3
Engine and engine cooling
53
2
1
1
Vehicle speed control
52
6
0
2
Seat belts
41
2
0
1
Steering
37
8
0
3
17 more parts
Electronic stability control (ESC)
31
1
0
2
Latches/locks/linkages
25
0
0
0
Tires
13
0
0
1
Service brakes, hydraulic
12
2
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
11
2
0
1
Suspension
9
1
0
1
Visibility
8
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
6
0
0
0
Seats
5
1
0
1
Interior lighting
4
0
0
0
Wheels
4
0
0
0
Equipment
3
0
1
0
Service brakes, electric
3
1
0
2
Traction control system
3
0
0
0
Child seat
2
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
2
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
1
0
1
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2006 Grand Cherokee over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, drivers should adjust their seat to allow clearance between the driver's knee and the ignition key, and remove all items from their key ring, leaving only the vehicle key. Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, to July 5, 2007, and 2006-2007 Jeep Commander vehicles manufactured January 31, 2005, to July 5, 2007. In the affected vehicles, the driver may accidentally hit the ignition key with their knee, unintentionally knocking the key out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Risk: If the ignition key inadvertently moves into the OFF or ACCESSORY position, the engine will turn off, which will then depower various key safety systems including but not limited to air bags, power steering, and power braking. Loss of functionality of these systems may increase the risk of crash and/or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. Chrysler sent interim notifications to owners in September 2014. The recall began on October 9, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P41.
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, through March 9, 2010; and 2006-2010 Jeep Commander vehicles manufactured January 31, 2005, through March 10, 2010. A transfer case electrical failure may result in an unintentional shifting of the transfer case into the neutral position.
Risk: If the vehicle shifts into neutral, it may roll away increasing the risk of a crash or personal injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the final drive controller which governs the transfer case, with new software, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N23.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE SOFTWARE PROGRAMMED INTO THE ABS ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE MAY ALLOW A MOMENTARY DELAY IN BRAKING WHEN COASTING UP A HILL DURING CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
Risk: THIS COULD CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ABS ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WITH NEW SOFTWARE THAT PREVENTS THIS CONDITION FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 22, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE INFLATOR CONNECTOR FOR THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY ASSEMBLED.
Risk: THE AIR BAG MAY NOT INFLATE PROPERLY WHICH CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY IN CERTAIN CRASH CONDITIONS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE DRIVER'S FRONT AIR BAG INFLATOR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN THE WEEK OF AUGUST 2, 2006. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 86 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2006 Grand Cherokee, the latest on Aug 15, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (24), power train (23), engine and engine cooling (14), equipment (12), structure (7).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Preliminary evaluation PE14017 Air Bag Non-deployment
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2006 Grand Cherokee.
See used 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokees for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax
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Specs
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Grand Cherokee Rear-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 21 / 17
Grand Cherokee 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 19 / 17
Grand Cherokee Rear-Wheel Drive
4.7 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 18 / 15
Grand Cherokee Rear-Wheel Drive
5.7 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
13 / 19 / 15
Grand Cherokee 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
4.7 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 19 / 15
Grand Cherokee 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
5.7 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
13 / 18 / 15
Grand Cherokee 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
6.1 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Premium Gasoline
11 / 14 / 12
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data